Introduction to Writing

SYLLABUS: WR115

INTRODUCTION TO WRITING

Spring 2014

Instructor: Timothy Black

Office: SSH204

Office Hours: Mon. 10-11

Tues 10-11

Wed. 10-11

Thur. 10-11

Telephone: (541) 917-4834

E‐Mail:

Course Website: Website

Final Exams: WR 115 and WR 121 exams will be Monday, noon – 12:50 p.m., and Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m. Students must test both days.

Text & Materials:

♦ Models for Writers, Short Essays for Composition, 10th edition, Rosa & Eschholz ISBN#:0312531133

♦ The Little Seagull Handbook. ISBN: 978-0-393-91151-0

♦ College dictionary

♦ Writer’s Notebook: 3‐ring binder

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Welcome to WR115, a workshop and discussion class in introductory writing. You can lookforward to

♦ Practicing a variety of techniques for writing and revising paragraphs and essays

♦ Reading a rich assortment of essays to develop your good critical reading skills and enhanceyour writing

♦ Reviewing and using strong study skills, grammar and mechanical skills, and collaborative skills throughout the term

My approach to teaching writing focuses on our purpose in every single situation. From letters to the editor to letters for our sweethearts, I’ll be teaching you how to identify the three primary elements at work in every piece of writing we start: who is your audience, what are you hoping they will do or believe after they finish reading your piece, and what is the best way for you to present yourself in each situation.

Writing is one of the most practical and useful skills we can develop in college, but I understand that we all come to this class with different experiences. My goal is to help you find the best way for you to practice, evaluate, and improve your own writing. I want to remind you that we’re on the same team and we share the same goal: to help you become an even more accomplished writer than you might already be.

Learning Outcomes --With your successful completion of this class, you will be able to:

1. Write thoughtful, clear, and effective expository paragraphs and essays for a variety of purposes.

2. Read critically; paraphrase, summarize, and directly quote from readings.

3. Write clear, focused, and well‐organized summary and response paragraphs using in‐text citations.

4. Focus a thesis and develop this thesis clearly and logically using examples and illustrations in a well‐organized essay.

5. Revise writing using standard college editing and proofreading conventions (grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation).

6. Enjoy confidence in your own writing.

Attendance and Time Management

Come to this class.You’ll notice from the first day of class that we work together a lot. We’ll be getting into groups to explore key concepts and then breaking into different groups to share what we’ve learned. We’ll be working one-on-one and in small groups on simple assignments and more challenging ones. I like to keep this course fun, informative, and practical. Missing a meeting of this class is like buying a ticket to Disneyland and then going out to sit in your car in the hot parking lot all day. But I understand that we all have lives. If you must miss a class: send me an e-mail before the class you can’t attend, and then make sure that you communicate with someone else in the class so that he or she can help you understand what we covered. This will require that you ask another student in our class for his or her contact information. Remember that we’ll spend two hours outside of class working on our writing for every hour we spend in class.

Up to three unexcused absences will not affect your grade. In fairness to the students who come to all the classes, a fourth absence will result in one lower letter grade. I would like you to come and see me if you must incur a fifth absence.

PLEASE COMPLETE READINGS AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS BEFORE COMING TO CLASS.

Additional Guidelines:

Type or word‐process final revised paragraphs and essays.

Turn in rough drafts and peer comments (workshop notes) with polished, revised essay assignments.

Do your work on time. Our class is organized around extensive revision: therefore, your rough drafts and final papers need to be on time.

LATE WORK POLICY

After many years of being both a student and teacher, I have learned that getting our assignments in on time is best for us as students and for me as your teacher. This is the most ideal situation and it is the most fair one for all of the members of our class. We have deadlines and everyone meets the deadlines.

I realize that life can interfere with a deadline, but more often than not it is not really something important and unforeseen that interferes with our ability to turn in an assignment on time. Very often it is simply a lack of focus on time management that causes a paper to be late. I feel like it isn’t fair to other students in the class if late papers are awarded the same points as papers that were turned in on time. The maximum score that late paper can receive is a C.

If you find yourself submitting a second paper late, please come and see me during my office hours.

Do your own work. Plagiarism (using someone else’s work as your own without proper in text citations and documentation) will result in your failing the assignment (with a zero score) and possibly failing the class. I am happy to meet during my office hours with all students who have any questions about what is and what is not plagiarism.

Campus Resources

♦ LIBRARY (917‐4638)

♦ Writing Helps: a cooperative writing service including ESOL, Writing Center, Writing and Study Skills Labs and more. USE THESE RESOURCES.

♦ Writing Center and OWL (Online Writing Lab)

Writing Center Assistants and Writing Peer Tutors will provide assistance (not copy editing, not correcting!) with specific paragraph and essay assignments.

GRADING

Your final grade for WR115 (100%) will be composed of your class grade – 70% of Class Work Grade and WR115 FinalExam 30%.

Here’s a general idea of the breakdown:

Suggested Writing Assignments6 at 25 points per = 150

Peer Reviews 6 at 10 points per = 60

Questions for Study20 at 5 points per = 100

Workshop Credits1 at 25 points = 25

AttendanceOh, let’s say 65 points!

Final = 100

Total: 500 points

Unless I have been contacted by the Office of Disability Services (ODS) on your behalf, it is LBCC English Department policy that all students, including ESOL students, will have the exact same amount of time to answer the final.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Published Typos:

Send me a photo or scan of any typo you encounter! email it to . 1 point of extra credit can be had if you send me a CLEAR photograph of a published typo from a newspaper, magazine, billboard or any kind of sign. Typos from the websites of large media outlets like New York Times, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, or Huffington Post can also be turned in. Take screen shots of these by using the ctrl-prntscrn capture method. (I have left a few typos around in my own material to get you started -- these too will be worth 1 point of extra credit.) The maximum number of points we can get from the published typos extra credit assignment is ten points.

When you send me the image of the typo, make sure to give me the related citation information. What newspaper published this? Who wrote it? You might want to take a picture of the front page of the newspaper or magazine.

WRITING CENTER

(Second Floor Willamette Hall)

From invention to revision, beginning to end, the LBCC Writing Center can help you take your writing to the next level. Please feel free to drop in during our regular hours (Monday – Friday, 9 ‐ 4) to work one‐on‐one with one of our Writing Assistants. In addition to your draft, bring

your assignment and any questions you have. You may also submit your writing online at lbcc.writingcenteronline.net where you will get a personalized response within 1 – 2 business days. For more information, please visit us at

Disability Statement:

You should meet with your instructor during the first week of class if

· You have a documented disability and need accommodations,

· Your instructor needs to know medical information about you, or

· You need special arrangements in the event of an emergency.

If you have not accessed services and think you may need them, please contact Disability Services, 917-4789.

Nondiscrimination Statement:LBCC prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, use of native language, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, veteran status, age, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.